MILLIMETER/SUBMILLIMETER SPECTRA OF WEAKLY-BOUND CLUSTERS
Luyao Zou, Susanna L. Widicus Weaver · 2016
Weakly-bound clusters are important for studying intermolecular interactions such as van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. The geometry and the effect of intermolecular force can be retrieved from their rovibrational spectra. Using a millimeter/submillimeter direct absorption spectrometer coupled with a fast-sweep detection technique, we are able to probe the ground vibrational state of weakly-bound molecules with high precision. With this spectrometer, we have fully characterized the pure rotational spectrum of \\textit{trans}-HO$_3$ up to 450 GHz. We have also identified lines in the \\textit{trans}-HO$_3$ spectrum as arising from the Ar-H$_2$O complex, and followed up with a full study of this cluster in the 200--850 GHz range. We are additionally studying proton-bound complexes that might have an impact in astrochemical environment, such as H$_2$--HCO$^+$. The experimental setup and the preliminary results for these complexes will be presented.